Letter or number for signs



(ModeL) D. N. LANYON.

LETTER 0R NUMBER FOR SIGNS.

Patented Oct. 1, 1889.

UNITED STATES DICK N. LANYON, OF

PATENT FFICE.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SPECIFICATION" forming part of Letters Patent No. 411,813, dated October 1, 1889.

. Application filed May 13,1886 Serial No. 202,043. (Modeh) T at whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, DICK N. LANYON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, county of Cook, State of Illinois, haveinvcnted certain new and usefulImprovements in Letters or Numbers for Signs, of which I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification.

My present invention has relation to the improvement of that class of signs in which the letters or numbers composing the sign are formed separately and of wood, and particularly does my invention relate to the improve ment of the letters or numbers of street or outdoor signs which are exposed to the action a of the weather. A difficulty encountered in the use of this class of sigmletters is that, the letters or numbers being cut from a single piece of wood, there is danger of the splitting of the wood, in the direction of its length at the narrow parts of the letter, since the best quality of wood, under the action of the rain or heat, is liable to warp and crack. Moreover, in the manufacture of sign-letters from wood there is danger of splitting the wood while cutting out the letter, particularly if the letter be formed with any comparatively thin portions extending in opposite direction to the grain of the wood. In order to overcome this difficulty, it has been heretofore proposed to manufacture sign letters and n u mbers of several thicknesses of wood having their grains crossed; but such construction, while possessing man y advantages, entails a consid erable increase in the cost of manufactureand necessitates the formation of joints, which, after long exposure, are liable to separate.

My present invention has for its object to provide an improved method for manufacturin g letters and numbers for signs, and to constructan improved sign letter or number whi ch shall be cheap, durable, and ornamental.

To this end my invention consists in placin g a dowel or dowels in the wooden blank in a direction opposite to the grain of the wood, and then cutting the letter ornumber in such manner that the narrow part or parts thereof across which the grain runs shall contain the dowel or dowels.

My invention also consists in a letter or number for signs having a dowel or dowels embedded in the wood through the cross-grain parts thereof that compose the narrow portions of the letter.

My invention further consists in a sign letter or number having applied to its face or edge an ornamental facing or edging of a plastic compositioxnwhich shall serve to strengthen, the narrow parts of the letter across which the grain of the wood extends.

My invention also consists in a letter or numher for street-signs having the narrow portions that extend across the grain of the wood strengthened by means of a dowel embedded therein and by means of an ornamental fac ing or edging formed of a water-proof plastic composition.

Figure 1 is a plan view of one form of my improved letter, parts being broken away for the purpose of better illustration. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line :0 cc of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a letter having a single dowel. Fig. EL is a sectional view on line y y of Fig. 3.

A designates the main body of my improved letter, such body being formed of wood with its grain extending horizontally, as shown. In the narrow portions (0 and a of this letter are embedded, respectively, the dowels B and B. These dowels will be inserted in the blank from which the letter is to be cut in such position that after the letter is formed they will fall within the narrow parts of the letter, and by this means the danger of splitting wood in the operation of cutting the letter will be avoided.

Around the upper edges of theletters shown in Fig.1 .there is out the grooves 0, within which will be placed the ornamental edging D, formed of plastic composition. The composition which I prefer to employ for this purpose consists of hard drying oil (or other waoer-proof oil) having whiting mixed therein until the mass reaches the consistency of stilt dough. This mass is then molded or rolled into the desired ornamental configuration and is placed into the grooves after the surface of such grooves has been coated with a priming and with a coat of sticky drying oil. After the plastic composition is entirely set within the grooves the letter will he painted, gilded, or japanned, as desired.

Instead of employing the edging D of plastic compositiona facing E, as shown in Fig. 3, may be used, this facing being formed ofthe same material and employed in like manner as edging, or the two may be employed together.

By inserting the dowels in the wooden blank from which the letter is to be out, it will be seen that the danger of splitting the narrow parts of the wood in forming the letter will be avoided; and it is also apparent that a letter havingits weak parts strengthened by means of dowels can resist the action of the weather without danger of warping or cracking. It will also be seen that the facing or edging of plastic composition not only serves to give additional strength to the Weak portions of the letter, but also aifords a cheap and simple means of imparting to the letter a highly-ornamental appearance, such as is ordinarily produced by the more expensive process of carving.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The method of forming letters and numbers for signs, which consists in embedding a dowel or dowels in the blankfrom' which the letter is to be cut and across the grain of the wood, and then cutting the letter in such manner that the dowel or dowels shall fall within the narrow part or parts of the letter or number, substantially as set forth.

2. A letter or number for signs cut from a Wooden blank, having dowels embedded in that part of the wood across the grain thereof from which the letter or number is cut, so that the dowel or dowels shall fall within the narrow cross-grained parts of the letter or num-- ber, substantially as described.

3. A letter or number for signs, formed of wood and having a dowel or dowels embedded in the narrow cross-grained parts thereof, the face of said letter being grooved and being provided with a water-proof plastic composition within the grooved portion serving to strengthen and ornament the letter or num ber, Substantially as described.

DICK N. LANYON. Witnessesr 7 JAMES H. PEIRCE, J. W. DYRENFORTH. 

